Tyler motel murder suspects indicted by grand jury

TYLER, TX (KLTV) -
Four East Texas men have been indicted for their involvement in a June homicide.

On September 12, 18-year-old Darian Pilkinton, 34-year-old Michael Browning and 28-year-old Broderick Smith, all of Tyler, were each indicted by a grand jury on charges of capital murder. 20-year-old Lawrence Murphy, also of Tyler, was indicted on one charge of murder.

These four men were arrested in June for their involvement in the murder of 26-year-old Wesley Scott Lester. Lester was murdered in the early morning hours of June 15 at America Inn Motel in Tyler. He was shot and killed inside his motel room. A police investigation revealed that the shooting could have resulted from an attempted robbery.

Police made contact with a man who told them Pilkinton went to the motel to buy drugs from Lester. When the four men saw the quantity of drugs Lester had, they attempted to rob him. Lester attempted to fight back but was shot during the altercation. Shortly after gunshots were fire, video surveillance shows all four men fleeing the motel.